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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. track — a path
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. lean — to bend
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. lean — thin
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. bear — the animal
  14. track — to keep track
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — for money
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. bank — of a river
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. branch — a division
  23. track — a song
  24. branch — of a bank

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com